e Centre has agreed in-principle to the Maharashtra government's proposal seeking release of about 86,000 hectares of land currently described as under zudpi jungle (shrub forest) in government records from forest clearance stipulations for various existing, stuck-up and proposed developmental projects.
Maharashtra has about 1.80 lakh hectares of land under zudpi jungle, entirely in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Gondia districts of Vidarbha. Any project to be undertaken there needs clearance from Union Environment Ministry under Forest Conservation Act (FCA). As a result, a number of development projects, including some irrigation projects, are stuck. The issue has been hanging fire for several years now.
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